In a Blink of an Eye | June 2025

Dear Friends,

Our son, Samuel, just completed his 11th grade year in high school. We are on the precipice of his Senior year and, for all intents and purposes, his last year at home with Rob & me.

I’m keenly aware of the multiple times I breathe deeply throughout the day. It’s my way of being conscious to pause and take everything in. One, because I know that time can seem to fly by if I don’t pause every now and then and take in everything that is going on around me. Two, I pause because, if I’m being honest, I hope that by pausing, time will stand still even for just a few moments so I can take in every morsel I have left with my son.

Where did the time go? I remember when he was born and how frightened I was of bringing him home … no one gave us any instructions on what to do with a newborn baby. I felt the weight of the responsibility of raising a child. All of my insecurities surfaced the moment I left the hospital and was faced with the realization that this child would be our responsibility. What if I damaged him emotionally and mentally in ways that I feared? As hell bent as I was to not make the same mistakes and choices that I experienced, it was a real fear. I wanted nothing more than the BEST for my son. The best upbringing, the best education, the best birthday parties, the best vacations, the best food, the best childhood memories, the best supportive and encouraging relationships with family and friends and, above all, we wanted nothing more than for our son to always feel loved, cared for, supported, and to have his own personal relationship with Jesus.

Now here we are, embarking on his final year of high school, and I’m bracing myself for what’s to come. I am filled with emotion about him leaving the nest. Have Rob & I done enough to prepare him? As parents, we want to protect our kids from harm, from heartache, from disappointment. I know that’s not realistic and it’s impossible. Yet, I also know that the best way to experience life is to be vulnerable, and to be vulnerable, he will experience heartache and disappointment and, ultimately, it is those experiences that will grow his character.

We’re proud of Samuel. We’ve taught him how to cook a few things and do chores around the house. I’m actually planning to put together a binder for him to take filled with things he can reference that will, hopefully, help him along the way. This summer I want to teach him how to sew a button (that’s so useful, right?) Breathe. There’s so many things I want to make sure he knows how to do. Any advice you parents out there want to give me on how to enjoy this last year with him at home, I’ll gladly take!

My son is more than capable. He has been very thoughtful on which colleges he wants to pursue - taking into account who he is and the best environment for him to thrive. I’m grateful for his awareness of himself and, more importantly, his love, dependence & faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Breathe.

He’s our only child and I am so grateful to have been chosen to be his Mama for these past 17 years. Although this chapter of his (and our) lives are coming to an end, we look forward to all of the possibilities and experiences that God has in store for him.

Onward & Upward with Gratitude,

Rica